Ditcher.



G. E. WARREN.

DITGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 4, 1912.

Patented Mar. 10, 191i 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

O Attorneys.

Witnesses C. E. WARREN.

DITGHER.

APPLICATION FILED 0M. 4, 1912 Patented Mar. 10, 19%

Manna-SHEET 2.

Inventor;

Attorneys CHARLES E. WARREN, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 4, 1912.

DITCHER.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 723,918.

2") (J2 1117mm it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. \Vanarm, a citizen of the United States, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State of Iriontana, have invented a new and useful Ditcher of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ditching machines j'iarticularly designed for use in making and cleaning irrigation ditches.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a machine of this character having an arrangement of wheels whereby the same can be drawn from place to place, without cutting into the soil the rear wheels being separately adjustable so that the transverse pitch of the machine and the depth of the out can be controlled readily.

Another object is to provide a machine of this character having steering wheels which can be adjusted about a transverse axis so as to regulate the depth of the cut.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 23 is a front elevation of the steering axle. Fig. t is a rear elevation of one of the rear crank axles. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the central portion of the ditcher and showing the :nljustable nose plate. F 6 is a section on line .\---l3 Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a triangular frame made up of rearwardly diverging side beams 2 and a transversely extending rear beam 3. Braces may be suitably mounted between the side beams. Secured to the outer sides of the side beams 2 are blades 4. extending throughout the length of the side beams and having their lower edges outcurved. as indicated at Supplemental, blades (3 may be secured along the outer faces of the beams and above the blades 4-. The front end of the frame 1 formed by the meeting portions of the side beams 2 is inclined upwardly and rearwardly and the blades -f and (3 extend up to this inclined portion and against the back face of a nose plate 7 which is bolted or otherwise secured upon the front end of the frame, this nose plate having a series of apertures 8 extending lengthwise of the plate and any of whiclra 2 adapted to receive the bolts or other fastening means used. Thus it will be seen that the nose plate can be adjusted longitudinally relative to the frame 1. Secured to the front portion of the blade (3 is a clevis 9 to which a draft chain 10 is connected.

Secured upon each end portion of the beam 3 are bearing boxes 11 preferably arranged in pairs as shown, each pair having a crank axle 12 journaled therein. wheel 13 is journaled upon the crank arm of each axle and the inner end of eacl axle has a lever 14: extending therefrom and carrying a spring pressed dog 15 which is connected, by means of a rod 10. to a small lever 17. This dog 15 normally engages a toothed segment upstamling from the beams 3. Thus it will be seen that the crank axles 12 can be separately rotated so as to adjust the crank arms angularly relative to the frame 1 and thus move the wheels 13 either into or out of engagement with the soil.

Secured upon the front portion of the frame 1 and bridging the front portion of the space between the side b arms 2. is a plate 19 adapted to receive a king bolt 20 which extends dmvnwardly through another plate 21. secured to the lower faces of the beams 2 and bridging the space between said beams.

This king bolt extends. at its upper end, through a plate which bears downwardly on the plate 10 and is mounted to rotate upon the king bolt. This plate is provided with hearing boxes 2 preferably arranged in pairs. one pair being disposed adjacent each end of the plate. Jourualed within these bearing boxes are crank axles 2t which extend beyond the outer sides of the beams Q, the crank arms of the. axles being engaged by wheels 2G. The inner ends of the crank axles 2-1- are provided with parallel arms 27 bolted or otherwise secured together, one of these arms being extended to form a lever 98 to which a spring conlrr lled dog 20 is connected, said dog being controlled by a hand lever which is connected, by a rod 31, to the dog The dog normally engages a toothed segment 32 which is mounted on the plate 22. Thus it will be seen that by actuating lever 28, the two wheels 26 can be raised or lowered so as to move out of or into contact with the ground.

Strips 33 extend forward from the steering axle and beyond one side of the plate 22 and are bolted or otherwise secured to opposite sides of a steering tongue 35. A brace 36 may connect one of these strips to the axle at a point beyond the opposite end of the plate 22, as shown.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the chain 10 can be used for drawing the ditcher while in use, while the tongue merely constitutes means for steering the ditcher. By shifting lever 28, the two front or steering wheels 26 can be raised or lowered relative to the frame 1 and, by elevating these wheels, the nose or front of the ditcher can be caused to move downwardly into contact with the soil and to dig any desired distance thereinto. By raising the wheels 13, the rear portion of the ditcher is permitted to plow into the soil. As the rear wheels are independently ad justable it will be apparent that the machine can be used readily on a hillside. Furthermore this independent adjustment of the wheels 13 permits the machine to be tilted transversely while in use and whenever de sired. The nose plates 7 will of course dig into the soil and the blades 4t will operate to throw the soil laterally and upwardly, this being due to the fact that these blades not only diverge rearwardly but are also inclined so as to converge upwardly.

Instead of arranging the bearing boxes 11 close together upon the end portions of the beam, one box of each pair can be located adjacent one end of the beam, while the other box of each pair can be located close to the center of the beam. Thus it is possible to use longer crank axles 12 and the levers are brought nearer to the center of the beam 8.

lVhat is claimed is:-

A ditching machine including a transversely extending wheel supported rear beam, means for shifting said wheels to lower or raise the respective ends of the beam, forwardly converging side beams secured at their rear ends to the transverse beam and secured together at their front ends, a wheel supported crank axle extending across the front end portions of the side beams and connected to them, means for rotating said axle to raise and lower the front end portions of the side beams, andscraping blades secured to the outer sides of the side beams, and a vertically adjustable nose plate connected to the front ends of the side beams and in front of the forward ends of the scraping blades, said nose plate being inclined upwardly and rearwardly.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. WARREN.

Witnesses R. R. PURCELL, J. F. FLANNERY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, D. C." 

